The other fourth? She’s probably too busy focusing on her future presidency (a preview here) and has no time for such trivialities as putt-putt.

Here are the week’s links:

Residents of Sac-town, hide your kids, hide your wife, there are zebras on the loose… Mark Driscoll’s helpful thoughts on Anne Rice’s departure from the shores of Christianity… You gotta use Starbucks’ designated size names (Tall, Grande, Venti) or face getting the boot like this prof did… Ann Coulter? She’s complicated… Chicharito made his Man U home debut last Monday and was greeted with “rapturous applause”… A Houston teenager is slain by a tag team consisting of a permanent resident and an undocumented alien, her uncle “would like to see what they’re doing in Arizona done here” so clearly, he must clearly be a racist…This week’s entry into the “Best Illustration of Romans 1:21-24” sweepstakes. A contest which unfortunately we have all submitted an entry to…

A Florida church has decided that the best way for them to publicly represent Christ is to burn copies of the Qur’an on 9/11/10.

Presumably, this church headed by Pastor Terry Jones (below) adheres to the teachings of the Son of God who when asked by His opponents what the greatest commandment is, responded with this,

‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.

Like Hilary Faye, Pastor Terry Jones is filled with Christ’s love. As if you couldn’t tell by the suit…

I fail to see how this Qur’an burning carries out the second greatest commandment. The book burning in Acts 19 can hardly be used as a precedent. What the Ephesians did there was publicly making their repentance known. By burning their sorcery books they were saying Jesus trumps sorcery, incantations and the occult. I find it hard to believe that the folks at this Florida church are repentant Muslims.

This chant (“Yes We Can!” or “¡Sí Se Puede!”) was introduced to the mainstream in the last Presidential election. Supporters of Barack Obama appropriated it and made it their rallying cry. If people have no problem hijacking Scripture to achieve whatever end, why not some silly phrase to usher in an era of perceived hope and change?

I say appropriated because the phrase did come from somewhere, and no I’m not talking about Bob the Builder (“Can we fix it? Yes we can!”).

The phrase is one of México’s contributions to the world of sports fanaticism. If memory serves me correct, I first heard it during the 1998 World Cup. It was used by the masses to support the national team as they went up against European powers such as the Netherlands (2-2 tie) and Germany (1-2 loss). Here’s an action shot from that match,So close Luis, yet so far…

It makes sense why the Mexican collective would concoct such a phrase, given my native land’s ya merito (close but no cigar) performances every 4 years. They look great against top-flight competition, give us all hope of a breakthrough and then get barely beaten in elimination games. There was Germany in ’86, Bulgaria in ’94, Germany again in ’98, USA (this one still hurts) in ’02, and Argentina in ’06. I expect this upcoming World Cup to be no different, but I hope I’m wrong.

I guess I could also go on how the phrase reflects the class struggle that has been the fulcrum of México’s troubled history.

Which brings us full circle to the re-emergence of the phrase at recent protests against a law in Arizona which requires peace officers to ask for proof of legal status.

The law only applies in Arizona, for now, but 7,000 people took to the streets here in H-town in protest. They, of course, made copious use of this phrase.

I agree, this law is ridiculous and is probably unconstitutional. If you’re against nationalized health-care because it’s unconstitutional then why aren’t you against this law? But I digress…

Back to the marchers, I just have one thing to ask: Stop using this slogan.

It doesn’t apply here. “Yes We Can”, what? What can you do? Even if this was law here in Texas, what can you do? It’s obvious that Congress isn’t doing anything about immigration reform. It’ll cost too much politically to do so.

Come up with something better and leave this phrase where it belongs, when we root for our beloved Tri come June 11th.

No, this is not a reference to the legions of Macvangelists whose lives have been transformed by Jobs’ irresistibly trendy products. I know that hiding behind the “Macs are just a better product” facade lies the sordid truth, they have given their hearts over to Jobs (below).

“Come to me, all you who are weary and PC-burdened, and I will give you rest”

No, no I’m referring to you standing over the pit of PC land if you you dare to leak anything that is in development at Apple HQ. That would be bad enough but how forfeit is the guy’s life who leaves behind (gasp!) a prototype for the next iPhone at some seedy saloon?

Well, a software engineer named Gray Powell did it, read about it here.

Given Jobs’ legendary penchant for secrecy, how is he going to react? I don’t know but for some reason Romans 1:18 comes to mind. Here it is from the Mac Version,

The wrath of Jobs will be revealed from Cupertino against all the carelessness and slovenliness of software engineers who leave prototype iPhones at bars…

I hope Powell didn’t lose his job over this (according to the Gizmodo piece he might still be there), but it’s safe to say that he might have gotten in some trouble for this fracas.

After all, it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living Jobs.

“Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it.”
— Leviticus 18:23

This is yet another example of those “Middle-Eastern camel-herders” imposing their narrow-minded views on the rest of the human race.

What was it with these meddling people and their obsession with our genitals? Live and let live right? Who are they to tell us anything? I mean Jesus never spoke out against this did He? No, I didn’t think so!

While this line of reasoning might be hoisted up as an adequate and apt response to Leviticus 18:22, I hardly doubt the same reasoning will be applied to the case of a gentleman by the name of Rodell Vereen.

According to this story, Mr. Vereen is accused of the thing which Leviticus 18:23 forbids and if convicted, faces up to 5 years in the clink.

Philip, I mean, Rodell was caught inside the stable by the stable’s owner, Barbara Kenley (below) who by all accounts, agrees wholeheartedly with Leviticus 18:23.

As do all her horse-owning neighbors who informed her that she “should have shot [Vereen]”.

Leaves one to wonder who Kenley and her neighbors think they are. Conjuring up outdated moral codes to impose restraints on first Mr. Vereen, and if we’re not careful, the rest of society. Watch out College Station, they’re coming for you next.

It should surprise no one that this circle of close-minded horse owners all live in South Carolina.

Interesting observation to say the least. I am not at this moment concerned with the validity/invalidity of the writer’s conclusion.

At the end of the article, the writer quotes some lines from the episode, words that are worth some commentary:

“I’ve made billions off of Christian ignorance for decades now!” brags Evil Mickey. “And do you know why? Because Christians are retarded! They believe in a talking dead guy!”

Well not really. Yes, we believe in a ‘guy’ that died. No, in the 3 days He was dead, His body did not produce speech. Of course, after He rose from the dead, He spoke, ate, and underwent a physical courtesy of Thomas, one of His disciples (see below)

Granted, if Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead, the Christian faith would be based on a lie and thus be worth as much as a pile of σκύβαλα. The Apostle Paul pointed this out circa 55 AD,

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

1 Corinthians 15:16-19, emphasis mine

Truly, there are many ‘talking dead guys’ (and gals) walking around.

Christian, when is the last time you respectfully spoke to any of them about the living hope you now have through Our Lord’s Resurrection?

For many of us, the answer to that question is as shameful as any episode of South Park.